Dennis the Menace’s ‘gay-bashing’ banned

The antics of Dennis the Menace were toned down to avoid claims that the character encouraged ‘gay-bashing’, a former editor of The Beano revealed yesterday.

Picking on Walter the Softy – who enjoyed collecting flowers and holding teddy bear tea parties – was banned in the late 1980s amid fears that it encouraged the violent bullying of homosexuals.

The ‘Prince of Softies’ was even given a girlfriend in an effort to stay on the right side of political correctness, admitted the magazine’s one-time editor, Euan Kerr.

‘The relationship between Dennis and Walter was always one that worried me,’ said Mr Kerr, who managed the famous children’s comic from 1984 to 2006.

‘We decided to make sure Walter was completely happy about who he was and a confident, likeable character.’

Political correctness also changed The Dandy’s big-jawed cowboy, Desperate Dan. The character – who shaved with a blowtorch and smoked big cigars – was put on a diet and had his six-shooter replaced with a water pistol.

And punishing bad characters – usually with a smack on the head or a slipper across the bottom – was removed as corporal punishment became ‘out-dated’.

The news was greeted with disbelief by many fans. ‘It’s a great shame that this national institution has been watered down to placate a tiny minority of humourless, do-gooding adults,’ said John Midgeley, of the Campaign Against Political Correctness.

‘I’d be absolutely amazed if any child ever interpreted Dennis’s behaviour towards Walter as gay-bashing,’ said Matthew Jarron, curator of The Beano exhibition at Dundee University.